Mosquito Creek
Maps:
USGS 7.5' Map:	Empire, Central City
Statistics:	Difficulty: Number: Miles: Altitude: Obstacles: Time: Easy 4 FR772.1 3.42 10,400 to 10,800 ft. NA 1-2 hours
County:	Clear Creek
Adopted by:
Managed by:	Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest, Clear Creek Ranger District	101 Chicago Creek Road P.O. Box 3307 Idaho Springs, CO 80452	303-567-3000
Summary:	Mosquito Creek road connects the Pile Hill area on the Kingston Peak road to the Yankee Hill road.
Attractions:	Mine
Seasonal Closure:	Natural - Closed by heavy snows
Best Time:	June - May still be snowed in July - Best August - Best September - Best October - Possible early snows
Trail Heads Accessed:
Camping:	There are no dispersed campsites along the Mosquito Creek road.
Base Camp:	This would be a good area to base camp and explore the 4WD roads around Yankee Hill and Kingston Peak.
Fall Colors:	Poor - Pine forest.
Navigation:	From Idaho Springs, I-70 exit 240, head west on I-70 and go 1.8 miles. Take exit 238 toward Fall River Road and go 0.3 miles. Turn right onto Fall River Road and go 8.4 miles. Turn right onto Mine Road and go 0.5 miles. Turn right onto Jeep Road and go 1.25 miles east through the network of roads then turn left onto Mosquito Creek road. From Black Hawk, CO head northwest on CO-119 for 1.9 miles. Turn left onto Apex Valley Road and go 5.5 miles. Turn left onto County Road 4-N/Elk Park Road and go 2.3 miles. Continue straight ahead at the curve for 1.4 miles. Just past the large fenced restoration area take the left road to start the Mosquito Creek road.
History:
Description:
Starting from the north end, access from Black Hawk, you will have driven part of the Kingston Peak road bringing you to the Pile Hill mine area. After turning onto the Mosquito Creek road you will shortly come to a more open area with a road going right, up to a small opening. This is where boarding house for a mine once stood. It was burned down some time in the early 1990s. The road will be well traveled in this area. Stay to the left to continue. You will head downhill and then enter into the forest. You will come to an intersection. The left goes through private property and down Mosquito Creek to North Clear Creek, FR705.1. Stay to the right. You will shortly cross North Clear Creek and then come to an open area with some cabin remains and another intersection. Stay to the left to remain on the legal road. From here the road becomes narrower and rougher as it runs through dense pine forest. After 0.6 miles you will come to an intersection. Both roads will tie back together shortly. After another half miles through the trees you will come to an intersection. The right is FR175.3D, which is part of the Yankee Hill, FR175, network. Stay to the left to stay on Mosquito Creek. After another half mile you will come to a narrow open area, then the road heads back into the forest. The road will now climb up a ridge and the trees will start to thin out. At this point you will come to a spider web of roads. The road to the left and back down hill is Miners Gulch, FR709, the road stratight ahead splits with both sides going to Yankee Hill, FR175, and then to the right is the rest of the Mosquito Creek road, FR772.1A. Following this road, you will wind through the trees for about a half mile and then come to an intersection with Yankee Hill, FR175, straight ahead and to your left, to the right is the other end of FR175.3D.
Data updated - April 4, 2019      4WD Road driven - July 25, 2004      Copyright 4X4Explore.com - 2000-2019